HOW EXERCISE AND SPIRITUALITY PROMOTE LONGEVITY
Dr. Allan Mishra is a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. He practices at Stanford and posts study results in the University of Michigan alumni group on Linkedin. Two of his most recent posts link to articles here on Substack. Take a look!
THE BENEFIT TO STAYING FIT: HOW WEIGHT TRAINING HELPS YOU STAY YOUNG
Is 75 the new 25? It may seem like a bit of a stretch, but there is evidence that strength training preserves neural innervation (supplying energy to nerves). This means lifting weights helps maintain the nerve connections between the brain and muscles.
The study involved 42 men divided into four groups by age, type of exercise, and level of exercise. The older group’s average age was almost 75 years old, and the younger group’s average age was 25 years old. They discovered that the percentage of atrophic muscle fibers was similar in the 75-year-olds as in the 25-year-olds, leading some to suggest that “our musculoskeletal system is modifiable until the day we die.”
Get more data from the study here.
POSITIVE IMPACT: THE LINK BETWEEN SPIRITUALITY AND LONGEVITY
It is often said that all religions are similar. Further study shows that while many core aspects are alike, most religions are superficially similar yet profoundly different.
Nonetheless, there is one thing held in common that might have been hitherto overlooked. There is a link between spirituality or religious practice and longevity. Around 75% of studies on the subject demonstrate correlation.
Results include “higher levels of spirituality/religiosity associated with lower risk of mortality,” with religious service attendance in particular being associated with a “lower mortality from death from despair,” i.e. death related to drugs, alcohol, and suicide.
Read the full article “Exploring the Spirituality-Longevity Link” on Substack here.
-Myron